


If You Don't Like Jerome Valeska, Read This

by mars_morpheus



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: basically just a lot of facts and some stupid guesses about j-money, even if you already like him, i've thought a lot about this, lots of absolute nonsense
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-14
Updated: 2020-05-14
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:40:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,592
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24175252
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mars_morpheus/pseuds/mars_morpheus
Summary: Basically a lot of Jerome stuff. Timelines, facts, etc.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 13





	1. Chapter 1

First off, if you dislike Jerome Valeska, your opinion is valid. Second off, you're the one who opened this, making you Pandora (this being obviously the box), and you're just going to have to deal with a lot of love for one (1) dramatic clownboy.


	2. Timeline (for the Valeskas' ages and stuff)

### Season One

  * Jerome is 17
  * Jeremiah is 17
  * Bruce is 12-13



### Season Two

  * Jerome is 17 (he died in February, presumably before his birthday which is in spring)
  * Jeremiah is 17-18
  * Bruce is 14-15



### Season Three

  * Jerome is 17 (in September, when he came back)
  * Jeremiah is 19-20
  * Bruce is 16-17



### Season Four

  * Jerome is 18 (he died again around August)
  * Jeremiah is 21-22
  * Bruce is 18-19



### Season Five

  * Jerome is dead :( but he would be 18-19
  * Jeremiah is 23-24
  * Bruce is 20-21



### Season Five +10

  * Jerome is still dead :( but he would be about 30
  * Jeremiah is about 35
  * Bruce is about 30



**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Resources:  
> \- "...every spring, around my birthday..." - Jerome to Mr. Cicero in s2  
> \- Bruce's birthday is February 19  
> \- The show tends to have each season stand for between one and two years with absolutely no explanation so this is not 100% accurate, except for   
>  Jerome's ages, which I'm pretty positive on  
> \- https://imgur.com/a/nYYmY#XsN4Z2o


	3. What We Know (or are told) About His Childhood

So, we all know that there are a few differing accounts on what actually went on when the Valeskas, and Jerome especially, were children. Some words or phrases have been italicised to show emphasis placed on them in the show.

### Jeremiah's Account

"From the letters my mother sent me, he [Jerome] never spoke of me after I left. ...They hid me away to protect me from him. See - we were always different, Jerome and I. From an early age, _I_ showed proficiency for maths and design, and _Jerome_ mainly the mutilation of alley cats. On my _tenth_ birthday, he held a cake knife to my throat. A few weeks later he lit my bed on fire. It was like living in a nightmare. My mother knew eventually one day he would succeed, so - one night, my uncle came into my room while Jerome slept, and told me he was taking me away. I had no idea where - but I kissed my mother goodbye, told her I loved her, and I never saw her again. ...I got a new name, a new life. I was finally able to live without fear."

[Speaking to Jerome] "You're insane. And I tried telling mom, but she didn't want to listen to me. You blame me for everything that's gone wrong in your life, but the truth is - Jerome - you were born bad."

[Speaking to Jerome] "Okay - maybe it didn't happen exactly like that, but... but I didn't have a choice, and I was right. ... _You killed our mother_.

### Jerome's Account

"...she [Lila] didn't want the commitment..."

"You don't know what you're talking about. My father was a sea captain. ...He was a sea captain, his name was Sven Carlsen, he died at sea."

"My mother was a cold-hearted _whore_ who never loved anyone."

[Jim Gordon: "Why did you kill your mother, Jerome?"] "Oh, you know how mothers are. She just... kept... _pushing_. And I'm like, fine, mom. Be a whore. Be a drunken whore, even. But don't be - a _nagging, drunken whore_. You know? Don't come yell at me to do the dishes, if you've been _banging a clown_ in the _next room_! You know?"

[Speaking to Paul Cicero] "Here, I'll tell you a story. You remember Kansas City, dad? The circus went through town every spring, right around my birthday? And there was this guy. Him and my mom used to drink, and _fornicate_ , and beat the crap out of me. They'd make a whole night out of it. And I remember one time - it was my ninth birthday. Him and my mom had just finished round one of boozing, boning, beating up Jerome, and were deciding to take a little _break_. Anyway... I was outside the trailer, and you were there. Aaaaand, you said: [imitates Cicero] _'Why are you crying, Jerome?'_ [Imitates his younger self, tearful] _'It's my birthday, and my mom and the snake guy are beating me!'_ And then you said: [Imitates Cicero again] _'This world doesn't care about you or anyone else, Jerome. Better to realise that now.'_ And that was it. ...Oh, is this the part where you say how sorry you are, how you should have believed in me, how it's not too late to start again? News flash, dad. _It's too late_!"

[Speaking to Bruce Wayne] "You know I'm an orphan too, Bruce? I killed my parents, though."

[Speaking to Zachary Trumble] "I remember back in the circus we used to dare each other to sneak into the chuck wagon, steal one of your cookies or two. And that reminds me of my favourite meal you ever cooked. You remember that time you caught me trying to snag a snickerdoodle? Oh, that soup you made that day. _Mamma mia_! What was the special ingredient again? Ah. Right. It was my _hand_. The one you _dipped in a boiling pot of chicken stock_! That smell..."

[Speaking to Zachary Trumble] "It's been great catching up, Uncle Zack. You really brought back the utter helplessness of childhood."

"You know, with Uncle Zack, the beatings just never stopped. They went on and on. And... nobody ever helped me. _Ever_."

[Speaking to Jeremiah, indirectly] "Oh... you are incorrigible. But then again, you always were. Oh, wait - or was that me? Sometimes I get so confused, I - I can't remember. You didn't have to run away like that. You see... I would never hurt you, Xander. _I love you_!"

[Speaking to Jeremiah] "Oh, you look _great_! To think I used to be the handsome one, right?"

[Speaking to Jeremiah] "Born bad, huh? So that's why you made her think that I tried to kill you. Right? _What was it again_? What was it? I... put a _blade_ to your throat. No, no, no, no, no, I tried to light you on _fire_. [Jeremiah: "We both know you wanted to!"] Yeah, that was a _funny story_ , wasn't it?"

[Jeremiah: "You killed our mother."] "She did deserve it, though. After that whore hid you away - _she gave up on me_. Poisoned by your stories. _You_ turned everyone I ever loved against me! My own flesh and blood!"

"I've been waiting for this moment for _fifteen years_."

"No parent will admit it, but everyone's got their favourites. Right, brother? Little Mr. Perfect here... ...He got adopted by rich folks, went to the top schools, a top college... Meanwhile, I got dragged through the circus by my depressed alcoholic mother."

### Other People's Accounts

"He's right. I am your father. ...You must have suspected the truth. ...Your mother was a cruel woman, she was often unkind to me, but she did once love me. ...If I wasn't your father, would I have helped you as I have, after what you did? [referring to Lila's murder]" - Paul Cicero

"My sister had the wrong idea with you, keeping you around. She should've put you in a sack with some rocks, and dropped you in the river!" - Zachary Trumble, while pouring burning soup down Jerome's throat

### Inferred, Perhaps More Accurate Story

Jeremiah certainly left the circus at a young age, but the brothers' two accounts clash when it comes to what age that actually was. When talking to Mr. Cicero, Jerome's story takes place on his ninth birthday, and Jeremiah is not there - so according to Jerome, they were at most eight years old when he left. However, Jeremiah mentions Jerome attacking him on their tenth birthday. As well, Jerome says to Jeremiah in their first episode together that "I've been waiting for this moment for fifteen years." Knowing that Jeremiah is (and Jerome would be if not for having died) somewhere around age twenty-two, that would make them about seven at the time of Jeremiah's leaving, which lines up with Jerome's story. Jeremiah is known for twisting facts to make himself look good, so this seems rational.

Another topic of conflict is whether or not Jerome was, in fact, "born bad". From the show's dialogue, nothing states that he wasn't always violent. However, it's also possible - if not necessarily probable - that he started out normal. One thing that seems to speak to this is Jerome's obvious lack of any physical strength or combat ability. Notably, he was beaten up pretty easily by a fourteen-year-old Bruce Wayne, not to mention the ex-strongman who restrained him while his uncle burned his throat (although this is perhaps not the best example as a gauge of strength, Jerome's actions are immediately and solely defensive). Jeremiah claims that Jerome made a habit of mutilating alley cats. However, in his diary (however difficult to read) there's a bit that reads as follows: _"_ _\--- --- I killed --- and --- off --- --- to see how the parts all --- and fit together on the inside"_. This may refer to the aforementioned alley cats, or it may not. Either way, it's interesting.

Obviously, Jerome and Jeremiah's mother and uncle were abusive. Jeremiah's fond remembrance of his mother could be a simple distortion of memory - after all, he left around age seven - or it could have been another lie. What's interesting is that Jerome never went after Jeremiah until Gotham's fourth season. Why? Could it be that he didn't even know his brother was alive? It's possible. Their mother's lovers would often beat them. Seven-year-old Jerome, waking up to find that Jeremiah was nowhere to be found, might have asked around - and upon getting no straight answers, he might very reasonably have assumed the worst: that sometime in the night, Jeremiah had been taken away and beaten, and that whichever nameless man Lila was seeing at the time had taken things too far, killing Jeremiah. This might explain why Jerome only started looking for Jeremiah so late.


End file.
